The conflict with Hamas in Gaza has put Israeli Ligat Ha'al (Premier League) soccer team Bnei Sakhnin in the spotlight because it has been a symbol of Jewish-Arab coexistence. However, the departure of Eliran Danin leaves Bnei Sakhnin going into the new season without a single Jewish player. Hard on the heels of that, it is now reported that Qatar will donate NIS 8 million to Bnei Sakhnin. This is sure to bring criticism at a time when Qatar is seen as pro-Hamas and the supporter of many anti-Israel Muslim groups.
Sakhnin Mayor Mazin Gnayem who previously served for many years as chairman of Bnei Sakhnin told "Globes," "The team's bank account has already been credited with $500,000, which is only part of the sum promised to us during a visit to Qatar."
Gnayem added, "Even before the war broke out I went together with a member of the team's management for a meeting in the Qatar palace of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (the Emir of Qatar) in which he promised NIS 8 million for Bnei Sakhnin and NIS 8 million for Achi Nazareth. The amount transferred now is just an advance."
Gnayem said that NIS 8 million was a sum that they could only have ever dreamed about.
Gnayem explained that the connection with the Qatar royal family was first made back in 2005 when Qatar donated $6 million for the construction of Doha Stadium in Sakhnin through the mediation of MK Ahmed Tibi. That money had been transferred to a bank in Ramallah and the project was overseen by one of their representatives from Jordan.
The NIS 8 million from Qatar will be more than half of Bnei Sakhnin's planned budget of NIS 14 million for the 2013/14 season.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 28, 2014
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014